Cheshire West and Chester

Health improved substantially in Cheshire West and Chester in the decade to 2011. At the same time there were changes in housing tenure.

The population reached nearly 330,000

In the 10 years leading up to the latest census, the population of Cheshire West and Chester increased by 2.4%, from just under 322,000 to 330,000.

The addition of about 7,600 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Cheshire West and Chester was home to, on average, 2.6 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was lower than the average across the North West

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the North West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Health improved

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's well-being.

The percentage of Cheshire West and Chester residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 8.9% in 2001 to 5.5% in 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (82%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 70% in 2001. The percentage of Cheshire West and Chester residents that described their health as fair decreased from 21% to 13%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 11% in 2001 to 6.8% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Cheshire West and Chester decreased by 3.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Cheshire West and Chester, the North West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Cheshire West and Chester that rented privately increased from 6.6% to 13% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over one in seven (15%) households lived in social housing, compared with 16% in 2001. The percentage of Cheshire West and Chester households that owner their home decreased from 74% to 71%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 8.5% in 2001 to 15% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Cheshire West and Chester increased by 5.9 percentage points

Percentage of households in Cheshire West and Chester, the North West and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Cheshire West and Chester working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 12% to 9.8% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (3.0%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.9% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 11% in 2001 to 8.3% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Cheshire West and Chester decreased by 2.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Cheshire West and Chester, the North West and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

More homes without children

The percentage of households without children increased in Cheshire West and Chester at a faster rate than across England.

In Cheshire West and Chester, the proportion of households without children increased from 60% in 2001 to 62% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion across England increased from 61% to 61%.

Across the North West, the share of households without children increased from 59% to 61%.

The proportion of households with children in Cheshire West and Chester fell from 30% to 28%, while the proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents remained close to 10%.

The proportion of households without children was higher than across the North West

Percentage of households that without children across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

More people living alone

The percentage of single-person households increased here at a faster rate than across England.

In Cheshire West and Chester, the proportion of single-person households increased from 27% in 2001 to 30% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion across England increased from 30% to 30%.

Across the North West, the share of single-person households increased from 31% to 32%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Cheshire West and Chester increased from 8.0% to 9.6%, while the percentage of households with a married couple decreased from 41% to 36%.

The percentage of households with only a single-person was lower than across the North West

Percentage of households that that comprised only a single person across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

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Area report data

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